The Star: May 31, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday May 31 2018 21
Opinion
•If you want to ask Ms Dalziel a question,
email mayor@ccc.govt.nz. Put Reader’s
Question in the subject line
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QE II, red zone come to life
I FEEL VERY privileged to
be invited to be part of the
opening of the new Taiora: QE
II Recreation and Sport Centre.
I’m really looking forward to
seeing it.
Anyone over 45 years of
age will remember QE II
Park being built for the 1974
Commonwealth Games.
It’s been such an important
part of our history.
The decision after the
earthquakes to build a brand
new community facility at
this site ensures that there will
always be local access to an
excellent facility.
And with the anonymous gift
from a donor wanting to support
the children of the east, there is
so much more here than would
otherwise be the case.
In addition, the sale of land
to the Ministry of Education
for the two schools means there
is funding available to develop
and implement a master plan
for the rest of the QE II Park
in consultation with the local
community.
Last weekend I attended
the opening of Regenerate
Christchurch’s Red Zone Futures
exhibition, which will run until
Saturday, June 30, at 99 Cashel
St in Cashel Mall (the former
Mayor
Lianne Dalziel
FIRST DIP: Pai Wynyard, Bella van Nobelen, Joe Kennedy
and Amy Hughes celebrate the opening of the new QE II
pool.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
Quake City site). There will also
be an online exhibition and
mobile exhibitions at public
spaces around Christchurch.
I spoke to some of the
community people who had
helped with ideas to support the
exhibition, and they told me that
they had felt listened to.
What was highlighted for
me was the sheer scale of the
Otakaro-Avon River Corridor
and the enormous sense of
possibility it represents.
I really recommend that
everyone takes the opportunity
to look at the work that has been
done and have your say.
Readers respond to
recent issues:
•Do the following statistics
about young adults point to
a sickening society? In 2014,
more than 80 per cent of young
drivers breached driving licence
conditions.
In 2015, more than 70 per cent
of young drivers didn’t pay fines
in spite of the risk of
criminal conviction.
The Ministry of Social
Development reported
that 70 per cent of jobs
required a driver’s
license. The Ministry
of Justice advised that
in 2014, more than
280 people were incarcerated for
repeated driver licence offences,
costing taxpayers some $11 million.
NZIER reported up to 90,000
young adults faced significant
impediments to progressing to
their full driver’s licence. It is
believed the reasons included lack
of confidence, unwillingness to
bother, lack of money, and not
having a vehicle – sometimes this
was the result of write-offs from
poor driving.
Simply put, each of us needs
to act responsibly with our own
behaviour, and guide those for
whom we are responsible to do
likewise.
– Robert Tait, Opawa
•It’s a shame that fuel prices
have risen recently. However, the
biggest influence on the price of
fuel in the country is not some
dealings between Trump and
Iran, which was a terrible deal
that had no benefit to anyone except
Iran. The fuel tax on each litre
of fuel is currently about $1.30,
split between central and local
governments. To add insult to
injury, the Government
stacks another 15 per
cent GST on top of that
price. What do we get
in return? 900 million
in embassies around the
world thanks to Winston
(Peters).
If people want to see a
reduction in fuel prices, they need
to petition the Government to
lower their taxes on fuel and stop
other wasteful spending. Secondly,
in response to the woman who
has had hours cut at Wendy’s,
when the Government raises the
minimum wage, employers can
respond in two ways more or less.
They can raise the price of their
products, or cut hours or jobs.
In this case, as the Government
aims to raise the minimum wage
to $20 an hour by the end of its
term, you can mark my words
that many more on the minimum
wage will have their hours cut or
lose their jobs to automation.
– David Aspden,
Bishopdale
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